The Science, ethics, and economics of climate change is a PhD course held at Gothenburg University, spring 2014. This is the first of a series of PhD courses which we will record, edit and post on www.efdinitiative.org, free for everyone interested. This first lecture is given by Martin Persson, Assistant Professor at Physical Resource Theory at Department of Energy & Environment at Chalmers University of Technology.
After this lecture you should be able to answer the following questions:
- What is electromagnetic radiation (light) and how does it interact with matter?
- What is temperature?
- What is blackbody radiation?
- How does the intensity of blackbody radiation depend on the temperature of an object (Stefan-Boltzmann’s law)?
- What is the relation between absorptivity (an objects ability to absorb incoming radiation) and emissivity (it ability to radiate)?
These are the basic concepts you need for understanding the natural greenhouse effect and how humans affect it.
